Beginning back in the 1970s with its tissue management system, Ultradent Products, Inc. was founded on the principles of “teaching” its customers how to best use its products, says Neil Jessop, Director of Research and Development. In the realm of dental adhesion, Jessop advises clinicians not to choose a product simply because it is billed as “easier to use.”

The concept of self-etch adhesives, says Jessop, is ease of use and simplification. However, he cautions that too many products in this category “compromise the integrity and quality of bonded restorations.” The evidence for this compromise, he says, is the prevalence of microleakage and failed restorations due to water sorption and bond degradation, in addition to poor initial bond strengths.

“The much more hydrophobic total-etch systems prove to be more stable long-term,” he says. “Many self-etch adhesives have been revised multiple times, with each revision claiming some new and improved property, implying that its predecessors were flawed to begin with.”

Jessop says Ultradent’s self-etch and total-etch systems both use a proven custom-synthesized chemistry with a high performance track record of more than 15 years. He says the company made commitments—to both itself and the profession—that it would not release a self-etch product unless it were at least equivalent to its total-etch counterpart. The company, he states, was able to make good on this promise with its Peak® Universal adhesive, which can perform as either a self-etch or a total-etch adhesive.

Describing the product, Jessop says, “When performing as a self-etch, it utilizes a stand-alone self-etch solution, which is vastly different than any of the so-called ‘all-in-one’ chemistries. It is our unique self-etch system, with its separate compartments for acid and monomers, that allows us to maintain a stable product with higher etching functionality than the competition. These stronger acids allow for quality etching to take place on both enamel and dentin to facilitate the greater levels of micro-mechanical retention for higher bond strengths.”

Peak Universal Bond is a light-cured adhesive with chlorhexidine (0.2%) for long-term bond strength. The single-syringe–delivered resin bonds to a variety of surfaces, including dentin, enamel, porcelain, metal, composite, and zirconia, and is ideal for indirect and direct bonding, as well as post and core procedures.

Besides producing proven products, Ultradent believes in taking a personal, educational-based approach with its customers, Jessop notes. “Ultradent has always maintained a direct sales force with representatives who can engage our customers in the field. We have sustained a high level of activity on educational seminars and lectures, including hands-on courses showing and teaching our customers how to use our products,” he says.

The company also goes into many universities with these hands-on courses, he explains. “We do this, first, to teach dental students what constitutes a quality bond, and, second, to show them how to predictably achieve those same quality bonds on actual prepared dentin specimens.”

The dental market now includes more than 100 different adhesive systems, according to Jessop, and he believes that dental schools should make a greater effort to more adequately teach students the principles of quality adhesion and enable them to test the materials for themselves before using them on patients. “With continued knowledge, I hope to see a reduction in the number of low-quality adhesives in the marketplace, with manufacturers either increasing the quality of their products or discontinuing them,” he says.

Ultradent plans to continue to “fill out” its adhesives product line to provide clinicians with high-quality solutions for each bonding need, Jessop says. “Ultradent will find new entrances in the area of adhesion to zirconia with simple delivery solutions with the most advanced and reliable bonds to date.” He adds that the company will be closely examining the need for a pure glass-ionomer system for pediatrics and geriatrics. “Our objective is to cover the full spectrum of bonding needs for customers who want the best out of each category.”